The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-03
SURGICAL SURPRISE.
A Toboggan Slider's Terrible
Break.
Over a Steep Imbankment and Hurled
Against a Tree.
An Operation Performed Upon tho
Abdomen, and for n wonder and
TO the Surprise OF All He Lives.


The toboggan slide, while its main
use is for exhlarating sport and pleas
ure, and there is hardly anything else
that sends the blood tingling through
the system or gives Il greater degree of
buoyancy, yet gave an opportunity late
ly for advanced surgery TO demonstrate
that life can be saved under very adj
verse circumstances says New York
special to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
There is no finer slide in this vicinity
than the natural one on Staten Island.
Thousands visit it daily and enjoy them
selves. Among the many visitors was
little Willie Warding, a rosy-checked.
light-eyed boy. and the prospective
heir to the great Warding estate. Sew
cral weeks ago he met with an accident
on the slide.
The toboggan moves with frightful
velocity and there is an element of
danger in the sport At the time Of
the accident there had been a heavy
thaw. The slide was soft and had
melted considerably While Willie was
coming down at full speed. boy-like, he
steered his toboggan out of the beaten
track. When about halfway down. it
struck a rock which projected through
the slush and its speed was suddenly
checked. The boy flew like a meteor
into the air, went over steep enbank
ment, and brought up against tree.
The full force of the impact was
received by the boy in the alb
domen, and the breath was knock
cd out of his body. He was
PICKED UP UNCONSCIOUS.
As he could not be seen to breathe it
was thought by many that he was dead.
He was taken home, and lay for hours
in comatose condition. Stmulants,
electricity and other things were tried
to rouse him, but without success. For
forty eight hours after the accident
there was no thought of the boy living.
The symptoms, as far as they were
manifested, pointed to fracture of the
skull, with severe internal injuries.
But presently there was a change tor
the better noticed The action of the
heart became stronger, the skin warm
err and then there was glimmer Of in
telligence that gradually increased I'M
til the boy was able to recognize those
who were near his bedside, and to
speak and locate his sensations. DR..
Aspell, young physician. the newly
appointed resident surgeon of the
Gouverneur Hospital. was called in con-
sultation in the case, and made repeat
ed visits TO the boys home in Staten
Island; but the symptoms changed so
from time to time that it was exceed
ingly difficult TO find out the real nature
of the trouble. The idea of fractur-
ed skull had to be given up. The con-
dition of the patient finally became set
tied. He lay on his back all the time,
with his knees drawn up toward the
body; the pulse was faint and wiry; the
abdominal muscles were not used in
breathing, the muscular action being
confined to the thorax; there was an
almost constant nausea and intense
pain in the abdomen. The face of the
patient wore look of
GREAT ANXIETY,
And the region of the abdomen was
much swollen. All this meant acute
Inflammation of the peritoneum. The
cause of 1t was sought after in various
ways. 1t was noticed that there was
an entire cessation of the work, usually
performed by the kidneys and that
there was an exceedingly pungent
odor thrown off from skin. The abdo-
men continued 70 swell and had drop
steal appearance. As matter of ex-
pertinent it was punctured and the
liquid that was discharged was urine
which had been extravasated between
the muscles and the skin.
There could be but one conclusion
| from this which was that the bladder was
ruptured. This is one Of the most dan
gerous injuries, and there is only one
case in England and none in this coun-
try in which the patient lived after
ward. The success which has attended
many recent operations upon the abdo-
men led DR.. Aspell to determine, in
this case. to open the abdomen and
give whatever surgical assistance the
condition of things demanded.
cox,ral DISTINGUISHED eurpoons At